Evidence #547 | June 3, 2026
Book of Moses Evidence: Man Is God’s Work
Post contributed by
Scripture Central
Abstract
Moses 1 describes God’s creations and work as being centered on benefiting mankind. This idea is echoed in the Apocalypse of Sedrach.Several passages in the first chapter of the Book of Moses develop the theme of work. The Lord said to Moses:
And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease. Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth. And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son. (Moses 1:4–6)
Later in this chapter, Moses asked for a further explanation of the Lord’s creations. The Lord then stated that his work centered on the eternal development of mankind:
And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content. And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:36–39)
An intriguing parallel to these statements can be found in a text known as the Apocalypse of Sedrach. Although this work appears to have Christian expansions and additions, parts of it are believed to derive from earlier Jewish material. “While no precise dates can be given,” writes Savvas Agourides, “it appears that the Apocalypse was originally composed between A.D. 150–500, and that it … received its final form shortly after A.D. 1000.”1
The text reports that after giving a sermon, Sedrach was taken into heaven by an angelic escort. Once he entered into the Lord’s presence, he asked a series of questions about the purpose of God’s creations. As shown in the following chart, several aspects of these questions correlate well with the account in the Book of Moses:2
Moses 1 | Apocalypse of Sedrach 3 |
4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease. 30 And it came to pass that Moses called upon God, saying: Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so, and by what thou madest them? 31 And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. And the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me. 36 And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content. 39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. | 1 And the Lord said to him, ‘‘Welcome, my dear Sedrach. 2. What kind of complaint do you have against the God who created you, for you have said, ‘I want to speak with God face to face’?’’ 3 Sedrach said to him, ‘‘Indeed, the son does have a complaint against the Father: My Lord, what did you create the earth for?’’ 4 The Lord said to him, ‘‘For man.’’ 5 Sedrach said, ‘‘What did you create the sea for and why did you spread every good thing upon the earth?’’ 6 The Lord said, ‘‘For man.’’ 7 Sedrach said to him, ‘‘If you have done these things, why do you destroy man?’’ 8 And the Lord said, ‘‘Man is my work and the creature of my hands, and I discipline him as I find it right.’’ |
As can be seen, the texts each have a cluster of three specific parallels:
- A man/prophet experiences a vision in which he communicates with the Lord face to face.
- The man asks God why he created the earth.
- The Lord explains that the creation was for mankind.
To be clear, there are differences in these texts. Sedrach wanted to know why God was going to destroy mankind, and most of the other topics and themes that he brought up aren’t present in Moses 1. Although the identified parallels may not be unique enough to demonstrate a direct relationship between these texts, they are specific enough to suggest a non-random relationship.3 For example, it may be that they both interact with a common tradition or literary motif.
These parallels, on their own, do not prove the Book of Moses is ancient. Nevertheless, it certainly helps when Joseph Smith’s revelations mirror specific details found in other authentically ancient sources. It should also be noted that a number of other elements in this chapter fit well within the Apocalyptic genre, generally, or exhibit other authentic features such as divine council imagery.4
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, David J. Larsen, and Stephen T. Whitlock, “Moses 1 and the Apocalypse of Abraham: Twin Sons of Different Mothers?” in Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities (Eborn Books, 2021), 789–922.
Stephen O. Smoot, “‘I Am a Son of God’: Moses’ Prophetic Call and Ascent into the Divine Council,” in Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities (Eborn Books, 2021), 923–934.
Mark J. Johnson, “The Lost Prologue: Reading Moses Chapter One as an Ancient Text,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 36 (2020): 145–186.
Moses 1:4–6
Moses 1:30–31
Moses 1:36–39
- 1. S. Agourides, “Apocalypse of Sedrach,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols., ed. James Charlesworth (Doubleday, 1983–1985), 1:606.
- 2. Agourides, “Apocalypse of Sedrach,” 610.
- 3. Other passages, for example, describe God as creating the earth to be inhabited by mankind. See Psalms 8:3–6; 115:16; Isaiah 45:18; 1 Nephi 17:36. Thus, this feature on its own is not unattested elsewhere. The same is true of prophets being caught up into heaven or asking the Lord questions. It is thus the cluster of shared elements, rather than their individual features, that appears to be unique in these texts.
- 4. See, for example, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Moses 1 and the Apocalypse of Abraham: Twin Sons of Different Mothers?” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 38 (2020): 179–290; Mark J. Johnson, “The Lost Prologue: Reading Moses Chapter One as an Ancient Text,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 36 (2020): 145–186; Stephen O. Smoot, “‘I Am a Son of God’: Moses’ Prophetic Call and Ascent into the Divine Council,” in Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: Inspired Origins, Temple Contexts, and Literary Qualities (Eborn Books, 2021), 923–934.